No fewer than 11 passengers died in a crash that injured eight others around the Ovia Bridge on the Edo State end of the Benin-Lagos Expressway on Thursday.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the crash which occurred around 11am involved a Toyota Hiace 18-seater bus and a truck belonging to the Dangote truck.
The driver of the truck was said to be heading towards Benin, Edo State when he rammed into the bus that had slowed down at the failed portion of the road.
An eyewitness, who does not want his name mentioned in print, said while some of the passengers died on the spot, others who sustained injuries were rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for treatment.
“The Toyota Hiace bus going to the East en route Edo State slowed down at the bad portion of the Ovia River Bridge but the Dangote truck that was on top speed rammed into it, killing the passengers and injuring others,” the eyewitness said.
The state Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Paul Okpe, confirmed the crash.
He said, “We had a crash on the bridge at Ovia River this morning. A truck ran into a Toyota Hummer bus and 11 persons lost their lives and eight persons were injured. Both the dead and the injured were moved to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital by our ambulances. Three vehicles were involved.
“The truck ran into the Hummer but before narrowly missing a Kia vehicle. The three vehicles are in the police station not far from our office at the toll gate.
“For the possible cause, we are leaving that to our accident investigations department to establish, but it was the truck that ran into the vehicles and the casualties were in the bus.”
